A Short Battle
by The Neliel Tu
Summary: Just as the title says, Grimmjow and Neliel have a short battle. Oneshot, small chance for continuation into a longer story, but only a small chance.


_a/n: so today I watched some Bleach fight scenes for the first time in a couple years. Well, it wasn't exactly a good idea because it made me want to write a fight scene between Neliel and Grimmjow, and I really have no cause to...so here you go. Leaving it at this unless I get some stories finished within the next few months. I:_

The door to the training facility creaked open slowly. Grimmjow knew it would be a slow day, and he was entirely too self conscious about training by himself. He couldn't put a finger on why, but he didn't want to be seen. And if someone was within—he would make haste in disappearing. It wasn't like him to be this way, but his past fights had left him doubting his strength.

He scanned the area quickly, finding a green-haired Espada sitting upon a bench, reading a book. He continued his scan without a thought to her until it registered fully: SHE WAS READING A BOOK. In a training facility!

"Oy, woman, what the hell are you doing?" He demanded of her irritably, though he figured he should have just left instead. She looked up, not startled in the least to see him there.

"I am reading." She replied coolly, returning her attention to her book.

"Reading in a training facility, eh? Who the hell does that?" He growled, letting the door click shut behind him as he walked toward her. She didn't look up from her book.

"I was told to oversee this facility for the day. For what reason, I cannot discern." She furrowed her brow, for usually a lower ranked arrancar would oversee training facilities, and not an Espada. Grimmjow frowned as well, jamming his hand between the pages of her book and forcing it to her lap.

"Well, _woman,_ since you're here, you're going to fight me." He told her. Neliel sighed as she was forced to make eye contact with him, as he was disturbing her reading.

"I think not, _Grimmjow._" She stressed the use of his name, implying that she thought he didn't know hers. She snatched her book out of his hand, angling her body away from him as she continued to read. He wasn't going to take no for an answer, however. An Espada did not spend time in a training room and refuse a fight, no matter if she was ordered to be there or not.

"And why the hell not, _Neliel_?" He demanded gruffly. She allowed another heavy sigh to leave her lips as she shook her head at him.

"If I am to leave my post to fight, who will oversee our fight?" She asked of him. He laughed and rolled his eyes.

"You're pathetic, Tercera Espada." He shook his head at her. "The door can be barred. You're going to fight me." He drew his zanpakuto, and she turned her eyes to him at the sound of his blade sliding from its sheath.

Neliel sighed deeply, her annoyance with him showing clearly in her eyes. She slammed her book shut and stood up. "If you so insist on fighting, then I suppose I must oblige, for I do not care to be torn to shreds." She told him sarcastically. He laughed at her insolence.

"You're a fool if you think you're escaping alive." He growled at her. She held up her hand as though to stop him before disappearing. He snapped into a defensive stance, not relaxing when he watched her appear by the door. With a swift motion he could barely detect, she slid the heavy, stone slab across the door, effectively blocking anyone from coming inside.

"I am a fool, am I?" She turned to face him, eyes narrowed at him as she studied him. "If I am such a fool, you will have no problem forcing me to draw my weapon." She told him in a calm voice. This prompted an obnoxious grin from him as he charged her, swinging his blade down upon her. A rush of air met his blade instead of her blade, much to his dismay. She landed neatly just out of his reach, and he growled at her.

"I'll make you wish-" He was cut short by her disappearance, rolling his eyes. "Runnin' away so soon, Neliel?"

She chose that moment to appear behind him, slamming her elbow viciously into his shoulder. His reflexes worked to his advantage and he managed to grasp her hand before she had a chance to pull back. Without a word, he yanked her arm and spun her into a wall. She made impact with a loud thud, but recovered in the blink of an eye, pushing off only to charge at him. At the last moment, she veered off course, for his zanpakuto was aimed directly at her.

"What're you afraid of, Tercera? Afraid of bleeding?" He growled fiercely, and she sighed. Neliel knew very well what she was afraid of, and two things not included in that list were bleeding and Grimmjow. Her brown eyes matched with his rich blue eyes, and she made no break in composure. She wasn't even breathing heavily. Grimmjow took this break in the action to survey his opponent, holding his sword at the ready.

She was tall, shapely, and her green locks fell at her hips. Her body was well muscled, and he could clearly detect the shape of her bosom though her uniform was thick. A pink birthmark splayed across her face, and her skull mask covered the top of her head. He continued eying her quietly, waiting, for once, for her to make a move on him. However, it seemed as though she were content to return his favor, as she seemed to be surveying him just as critically as he did her.

She took in his bright blue hair, nearly matching eyes and the green markings beneath his eyes, realizing how little contact she had made with this Espada. He was muscle bound, this she could see clearly from his chest and stomach revealing uniform. He stood watching her, one hand in his pocket, the other clasped around the hilt of his zanpakuto.

"What are you waiting for, Grimmjow?" She asked softly, her eyes meeting his yet again. He found himself intimidated by her suddenly for reasons he could not comprehend, but quelled the feeling.

"Waiting for you to make a fucking move. Or are ya just gonna stand there and devour me with yer eyes?" He demanded. Neliel's brows furrowed, and she sighed as she drew her blade. It was about time, Grimmjow thought. She paused for a moment, and he could practically see the words forming in her mind before she said them.

"You are to keep this fight between you and I. That is an order, _Sexta Espada._" She commanded, purposefully stressing his rank, and he realized he could not disobey her order. But he had goaded her into a fight successfully, despite her standing over him.

"Yeah, whatever. Dunno why you care, or why I'd fucking tell anyone, but it's our secret, Tercera." Grimmjow agreed.

Neliel allowed him the faintest of smiles and a very quiet 'Good,' before lunging at him, her sword poised to draw his blood. Grimmjow lifted his blade at the last minute, the clashing of metal music to his finely tuned ears.

"It's about fucking time," He said, shoving her blade back. She raised the pressure on his blade, rendering his efforts useless. He gritted his teeth as their blades clashed, mind quickly working up strategies. He had to find an opening, everyone had an opening, no matter how strong they were. He had never even seen this woman fight, he realized, and so everything he did would have to be thought through in a different way.

Of course, he had heard of the ways she brutalized Nnoitra, and knew that she was no one to be trifled with. The very fact she was even fighting with him in this moment was a great surprise to the sixth Espada.

"Oy, Nel." He maintained the pressure of his blade against hers as she gazed at him imploringly. "If I asked ya to finish me off, would ya?" He asked. Her blade suddenly left his as she reappeared further away from him, kneeling on the floor. Her brown eyes were fierce as she calculated her simple response.

"No." She told him firmly.

"Oh, yeah?" Grimmjow lowered his blade and stepped closer to her. "And why would that be?"

"I have no reason to finish you off, Grimmjow. You are not my enemy. If I killed you, the Espada would be less one member, and who would that benefit?" She stood slowly, watching him warily. "It would certainly not benefit you nor I." She continued to watch him, and he found that her logic was undeniable. Her logic would never stop him from lusting for blood. It did, however, force him to take comfort in the fact that his life would never be taken by her hand.

"Che. Whatever." He mumbled, lunging at her ferociously. He swung his blade at her multiple times, each time being met by a clank of steel and her unwavering hazelnut eyes. She was frustrating, this woman, but he found he was enjoying the fight. She was forcing him to constantly rework his strategy.

He swung her blade at him again, and as expected, she blocked it. Instead of letting it hit her blade, however, he swung it at her left hand. She didn't have time to parry with her blade, so she was forced to halt it with her hand. She closed her fist around his blade, stopping it before it cut too deep. She flung it away from him, smacking his flank with the blunt side of her blade.

"Shit!" The expletive ripped from his mouth as the pain coursed through him. A satisfied smirk appeared on Neliel's lips, disappearing as he charged her again. He swung his fists at her in rapid succession, her wide, surprise-filled eyes delighting him. She flung her own blade to the side, both listening to the twang it made as it stuck into the wall. She dodged his fists, bringing her own fists to meet his stomach and chest.

Blood flew from her left hand as she punched and dodged, taking a few of his shots as well as he took hers. She grunted softly with her exertion, her eyes continually scanning for an opening. She found a blatant one and took it, slamming her foot into the back of his head with relative ease. She pivoted on her heel and dealt him another kick to the chest as her other foot touched the ground, moving so smoothly that Grimmjow barely had time to react. His loud exclamation was enough to tell Neliel that her attack had gone over successfully.

She ran to her zanpakuto, pulling it from the wall gracefully. Grimmjow ran for his own, glaring defensively at Neliel as he positioned himself for an attack.

"Don't you ever tire of battle?" Neliel asked him wearily, and he laughed.

"Fuck no." Grimmjow retorted, and she eyed him curiously, her eyes asking of him 'Why?' "I feel alive in the heat of a battle. And don't fucking try to hide it, I know you do, too." He appeared next to her, his fist colliding with her stomach. However, she didn't feel any pain. He had pulled his punch as soon as it made contact. She was suddenly irritated with him, had he been holding back this entire time?

"You're holding back." She stated, and his provoking grin was confirmation enough for her. She sighed, shaking her head. "Well, I suppose that's only fair, since I have also been holding back."

"Holding back? I'll fucking teach you to hold back." He growled, charging up a cero in his hand. Neliel opened her mouth to protest, but it was too late, the bright red orb was hurtling toward her. She sighed, holding up her hand to stop it. Grimmjow watched raptly as her mouth opened, and with a small gasp she began to swallow his cero. Wait, swallow his cero? What the fuck?

She threw her head back as soon as the orb had disappeared completely, her closed mouth smoking for a long moment. Grimmjow could only stare in awe and wonder at what the hell she was doing. In the next instant, her head jerked forward as the cero came rushing out of her mouth. Yet, something was different. "GAH!" Neliel cried as the pink cero doble rushed toward Grimmjow. He didn't have a chance to deflect it, or even counter with another cero. Instead, it engulfed him, and he shouted out several curses.

"Now, may I go back to reading?" She demanded coldly, and Grimmjow glared.

"What, getting bored already? Well, why the fuck don't we make this a little more interesting, Neliel?" Grimmjow demanded, holding his blade out before him. The nails of his left hand met with his blade, and it began to glow an electric blue. His eyes held a strange resolve, suddenly, and Neliel frowned. He was going to use his resurreccion? She realized then that she had never seen his released form and found worry nagging at her. She had no idea what to expect from him, but she would not use her own release unless she was forced to.

"Grind, Pantera." He growled as his nails scratched along the blade. The room became heavy with swirling reiatsu as his blade transformed into a pillar of blue reiatsu. He registered the faint worry in Neliel's eyes with pleasure, and when the room settled once more, he stood before her in all of his glory. She noted that his body was covered with armor and on his fore arms and legs were sharp blades. She found herself impressed with this form. She masked her feelings well behind an impassive face.

His ears and hair had lengthened, giving him the appearance of a feline. The markings beneath his eyes had changed as well as his skull fragment, which had become a crown atop his head. He rushed at her without a warning, and she found his speed had increased with this transformation. His claws met with her back quickly, and she could hear his tail cutting through the air, making its way dangerously close to her stomach. She leaped back, guarding herself with her blade.

"What, are ya scared, Neliel?" Grimmjow demanded, his voice tinged with laughter. Neliel's eyes snapped with indistinguishable lights as she slowly stepped toward him. Her back was bleeding, she could feel the blood seeping through her uniform.

"You've destroyed my uniform." She stated simply, and Grimmjow laughed.

"Typical thought of a fuckin' woman. You're fucking fighting me, and all you can think is that I destroyed your stupid outfit." He mocked her. She scoffed, rushing him without another word. The next thing he knew, her blade was scraping across his chest, his one weak point. "Shit!" He growled, his claw flying out to shove Neliel's head to the ground. She somersaulted away from him, rushing him again as she regained her balance. This time, she went high, aiming her sword toward his shoulder.

He caught her blade with one hand as he lashed out at her with his forearm. To his surprise, the blade on his arm connected with her stomach, impaling her.

"Ah!" She cried out, rearing back and stabbing his stomach with her own blade. They stood still for a long moment, blood and reiatsu mingling as they breathed heavily. Blue and brown eyes met in a deadly staring contest. If he moved forward, more of Neliel's blood would be drawn, but her blade would sink further into his stomach. His free claw closed around her blade, keeping her steady as he yanked his blade out of her stomach.

Another cry of pain from Neliel hit his ears and he grinned. "Not so high and mighty now, eh?" He demanded, and she reared back yet again, coming forward with another slash across his chest. They were both covered in blood, and she skittered back a safe distance from him. She caught her breath, realizing she was overwhelmed by his current form. She sighed softly as she held her blade out before her.

"How annoying, but I suppose you deserve to see this for actually drawing my blood." Neliel practically whispered. Grimmjow's eyes widened as she flattened her left palm before her blade. Her brown eyes were set with determination as the blade began to glow a light pink. Her reiatsu swirled around her, and Grimmjow found himself overwhelmed by her power.

"Declare, Gamuza." She commanded, and the transformation set in quickly. There she stood before him, taller than even Nnoitra in her centaur form. Her arms and shoulders were covered in armor reminiscent of a medieval time, and she held a large, double lance. That lance, were it stuck in the ground beside a normal Neliel, would have been twice her height, he thought. Now he was, once again, intimidated by this woman.

She twirled the lance in her hand with ease, cocking her arm back so suddenly that he barely realized what was happening until it happened. Flashes of movement caught his eyes as her spiritual pressure built up to maddening levels. How was this simple facility containing all of this power? He found himself wondering.

"Lanzador Verde." Her voice penetrated his reeling mind as the lance flew toward him, reiatsu building up as it grew closer.

"SHIT!" He shouted as it pierced his armor. Neliel trotted up to him so that she could regain her lance, watching the wounded Grimmjow struggle with it for a moment. He managed to yank it from his armor, tossing it to the side fiercely, daring her to reach for it with his eyes. Instead, she glared down upon him, looking every bit the part of the fiercest warrior. Not only was he intimidated by Neliel, he was now impressed as well.

She wasn't a warrior for no cause, he found himself realizing. Even though she was possibly gravely injured, she could hold her own against him, and in another circumstance, he knew she would have ease killing him. He realized he was glad he wasn't an enemy of Neliel Tu Oderschvank. However, she still seemed to be holding back, and that infuriated Grimmjow to no end. He charged at her, holding himself in the air to slash at her face.

She stepped back, her armored fist crushing into his abdomen. A yelp tore through Grimmjow's lips but did not stop him from clawing at Neliel again. She displaced him with ease, sending him hurtling to the floor. He made impact with a resonating thwack, and the green-haired beast watched him through cold eyes.

She took the moment to pick up her lance, and he found he didn't want her to wield that deadly weapon. She noted the look in his eyes, surprised to find fear. She let the weapon rest at her side, shaking her head at him.

"We should not have let it go this far, Grimmjow." She admitted, realizing she had been a little bit foolish. "If you wish to continue fighting, that is fine." She paused, frowning. "However, I refuse to continue in these forms. It is far too dangerous." She eyed him, and he nodded his reluctant agreement. She let herself transform into her regular form, watching as Grimmjow did the same. In tandem, they sheathed their swords.

Without a warning, she rushed him, bringing her fist to his face with a loud crack. He hadn't been expecting it, but at the same time realized it wasn't a dirty attack. He had been watching her, and should have been able to protect himself.

"What the hell, Neliel? I thought you'd quit while you were ahead. You wanna lose to someone ranked lower than ya, don't ya?" He demanded, and she smiled vaguely.

"No, I simply realized you would attack me regardless of my decision, and so I beat you to it." She replied, and he found himself astounded at her cleverness. He could see boredom in her eyes, though, and he found fury rising within himself.

"Hey, idiot, stop giving me that fucking look." He grumbled, swinging his fists at her wildly, yet with precision. She wasted no time in dodging his attacks, finding herself backed up against a wall in no time. He planted his fists at her sides, looming dangerously close to her. "So, you ever gonna enjoy this or what?"

Neliel planted her knee in his stomach viciously, spitting out her words loud and clearly for him. "No. This is a waste of my time, Grimmjow."

"Either way you were wasting your time, Neliel." He retorted, sending his fist hurtling toward her solar plexus. She deflected him neatly, her breath coming slightly faster. "So why not waste it making yourself stronger, eh?" He asked, and she sent her fist flying into his chest, refusing to answer.

"How long have we been fighting for?" She asked instead, and both glanced to the clock. "Has it been an hour, or has it been two?"

"Does it really matter, woman?" He growled, using the opportunity to knock her away from him. She fell back, shaking her head at him. He just refused to give up.

An hour later found the two still battling, and Neliel found herself impressed that he had held his own against her for this long. She found herself growing fatigued, however, and wondered that Grimmjow hadn't fallen over with exhaustion.

As she moved to attack him, she stumbled and fell into him. "Damn," she whispered as her body collided with his. He didn't make a move to attack, instead he caught her, her momentum causing him to fall with her. Yet, he kept her from doing any more damage to herself. She caught her breath, feeling the sweat cooling all over her body. Grimmjow had certainly given her a workout, she thought. In their exhaustion, they overlooked the implications of their current resting position, Neliel's body slung atop Grimmjow's lazily.

Her head rested atop his chest, and though normally Grimmjow would have been hasty to rid himself of the other being, he found he was too tired to even protest. Neliel's breathing slowed, as did his, and even as it did, he still found he lacked energy.

"Oy, woman," He said, and she managed to tilt her face up to look at him. "Thanks."

"Heh, don't mention it." She replied.

"No, I mean it, thank you Nel. That was great." He insisted, and her eyes softened for just a moment.

"And I mean it as well, Grimmjow. Really, don't mention it. Ever." She warned him, and he summoned the energy to chuckle heartily.

"Whatever, woman. You're welcome, by the way." He told her, sarcasm dripping from his voice. She rolled herself off of him, coming to a rest at his side. A cheeky smile stretched her lips as she formed her reply.

"Thank you, Grimmjow." As he took in her smile, he realized that it was perhaps the only thing worth calling beautiful in this world, but what did he know or care of beauty, anyway?

_Aaaaaaaaand SCENE!_


End file.
